Coin mechanisms are used to operate many different types of devices and machines, including vending machines, laundry machines, washroom stalls and so on. In such a coin mechanism, depositing one or more coins or tokens of the required denomination or type allows the user to actuate the coin mechanism, which in turn activates the device or machine.
Certain types of machines, for example so-called “bulk venders” (also colloquially known as “gumball machines”) in which merchandise is dispensed from a bulk merchandise compartment by rotating a coin mechanism, it is desirable to be able to locate the machine in any high traffic locale. Operators of bulk venders need to have the flexibility to place the bulk vender in both supervised and unsupervised areas, regardless of the surrounding conditions. One of the ramifications of this is that bulk venders must be extremely theft- and vandal-resistant.
Furthermore, in order to maximize the versatility in placement of a bulk vender, it must not need electrical power to operate. This constitutes a significant limitation on what functions a bulk vender is able to perform.
For example, to avoid theft or “skimming” by service personnel it would be advantageous to provide an electronic counting device, which counts vends from the vender so that the operator can determine how many coins or tokens should have been collected since the previous service call. It can also be advantageous to track information regarding vends and the purchasing habits of users, for example using an electronic “tag” or another suitable device as described in Canadian Patent Application No. 2,372,995 to Schwarzli et al. filed Feb. 25, 2002, which is incorporated herein by reference.
In many cases it would be advantageous to be able to activate a solenoid, to either release the coin mechanism or to activate a gate or door that releases the merchandise, as this can render the coin mechanism more tamper-resistant and avoid the need for complex mechanical mechanisms that unlatch gates or doors to allow merchandise to be dispensed.
An electric current can also be used to help to distinguish coins having a metallic component from non-metallic slugs, which may be composed for example of plastic or cardboard. An example of a device for determining whether a coin is magnetic, and releasing the coin mechanism only when the coin is magnetic, is described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,181 issued Sep. 21, 1999 to Schwarzli, which is incorporated herein by reference. However, the magnetic locking mechanism so described only reacts to a coin that has a magnetic component (iron or nickel). There are many denominations of coin around the world that are metallic but do not have a magnetic component, and there has heretofore been no reliable means available for discriminating between nonmagnetic metallic coins and plastic or cardboard slugs in a bulk vender. If an electric current were available, by interposing the deposited coin or token into an electrical circuit which can be closed only if the coin is composed of metal, it could be determined whether the coin is conductive (metallic) or non-conductive (non-metallic). This would provide an additional security feature and reduce operator losses due to the use of non-metallic slugs closely sized to the desired denomination of coin.
In all of these cases, however, the bulk vender would require electrical power in order to operate the electrical or electronic device or test the coin for conductivity.
Conventionally there have been only two ways to supply power to a bulk vender: provide a power cord and connect the machine to a mains power supply; or provide the vender with a battery. Requiring connection to a mains power supply significantly limits the variety of locations at which the bulk vender can be placed, as there must be a power receptacle nearby.
Providing the bulk vender with a battery is usually impractical, because batteries have a limited life. Although there are currently batteries available which are compact enough to fit into a coin mechanism and can last for a significant period of time, they deliver a very small current and are thus capable of operating a very limited variety of devices which require very low power, such as silicon chips. Moreover, when a battery runs out it does so suddenly and without warning, which can defeat the purpose of any counting or tracking device provided in the vender, and frustrate users who may be denied merchandise if the coin mechanism or merchandise release mechanism has stopped operating because of a low or dead battery.
It would accordingly be advantageous to provide an electrical power source in a bulk vender, and particularly in a coin mechanism, which does not require connection to a mains power supply, supplies enough current to operate an electromagnetic device such as a solenoid, and does not rely on a depleting energy source such as a battery.